Hydraulic lift for cutter bars



P 1952 J. H. LINDAU ET AL 2,612,018

HYDRAULIC LIFT FOR CUTTER BARS Filed May 23, 1949 Jo/m 0.

- INVENTORS.

BY I

(II/ ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 30, 1952 HYDRAULIC LIFT FOR CUTTEItBARs John H. Lindau Kansas City,'Mo., and Robert P. Stewart and John D. Black, Wilmore, Kans.

Application May 23, 1949, Serial No. 94.764

1 Claim.

This invention relates to the field of farm im plements and particularly combines and the like having as a part thereof cutter bar assemblies.

mounted for vertical reciprocal movement, the primary object being to provide novel raising and lowering mechanism forsuch cutter. bar that is extremely fast and dependable in operation.

The most important object of the present invention is to provide elevating and lowering means for farm implement cutter bars having an elongated arm pivotally mounted at one end thereof and joined'to th cutter bar, there bein an hydraulic system connected to the arm for swinging the same and disposed next adjacent to the point of pivot of the arm to the end that the cutter bar will respond quickly and travel relatively fast as compared with the speed of operation of the hydraulic system.

Other objects of the present invention relate to the way in which the swingable operating arm is pivotally connected to the cutter bar by means of an'elongated rod; the way in which the hydraulic cylinder is itself pivotally mounted and has its reciprocating piston rod pivctally secured to the arm; and the manner of providing a shock absorbing means between the cutter bar and the arm to facilitate. the above mentioned fast operation without undue wear and jar to the mechanism forming the subject matter hereof.

Other more minor objects will be made clear or become apparent as the following specification progresses, reference being bad tothe accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a' fragmentary elevational view showing schematically a part ofa combine with which the hydraulic "lift for cutter bars forming the subject matter hereof, is used and upon which the same is mounted; and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of said portion of the combine showing the hydraulic lift mounted thereon.

Many attempts have heretofore been made to provide automatic means operable from a point remote from a cutter bar to rais and lower the same quickly and easily. All of such prior devices have been faulty however, because of the fact that oftentimes the cutter bar of a combinemust be moved quickly as the implement moves along and thereupon again lowered with the same speed.

In normal operation of a combine or other cutting implement having a cutter bar, such cutter bar is normally disposed at a predetermined distance above the ground and is only raised when obstructions are met such as rocks, small knolls, ditches and the like. When the crop being cut is is broadly designated by the numeral l0. 'I'his relatively thick and-heavy, it.is oftentimesidifflr; cult for the operator to notice the obstruction-or irregularity in the terrainuntil. thezcutterbar; is nearly upon such obstruction. It 1380011165 418? sirable therefore, for the operat0r.to...be.able to.

merely touch a manual control and be assured; that the cutter bar willimmediately respond'and raise to a safe position. As scenes the obstrucl-I tion is past, the operator should be able tojagain;

touch a manual control and'the cutter bar will thereupon, lower to th normal operating DOSi-i' tion.

These and other ob'jects form. the

framework In is usually mobile through .:the.

medium of supporting wheel and. axle :assem-.-

blies l2.

The liftingassembly hereof includes frame-ii work comprising a pair of spacedapart horizontal, cross bars 14 and I6 mounted in; any suitable;

manner directly upon the framework 10. of.thecombine. A pair of upright spaced frame pieces IB and. 20 are joined at the lowermost ends-di rectly to the cross member 14 and extendupr wardly therefrom.v Similarly, a pairofspaced;

apart frame piecesv 22 and. 24, having au le 8th ,1

greater than-the length of the frame pieces. l8.

and 20, are joined attheir lowermost nds to the; cross member [-6 intermediate the ends of the] latter and extend upwardly from member I A pair of spaced, angularly disposedbraces26; and 28. are 'provided the brace interconnecting.

the frame pieces [Sand 22 whilethe brace .28. interconnects the uppermost ends of the frame pieces 20 and 24.

.Anelongated arm 30 1s and 24, and extends laterally beyond the frame pieces '22 and 24 opposite to the frame pieces l8 and 20. The width of the arm 30 is less than the distance between frame pieces l8 and 20 and frame pieces 22 and 24 and has one end thereof pivotally connected to the frame pieces "3 and most end of the rod 34. Box 38 has an opening d ed: b tw e the; frame pieces I8 and, 20 and theframepieces 22 in one end thereof opposite to the rod 34 for slidably receiving a short L-shaped rod 40. The short leg of the rod 40 is pivotally secured to one end of a cutter bar 42 and releasably held in place through the medium of a cotter key or the like 44.

A spring 46 is coiled about the uppermost end of the rod 40 within the box 38 and a suitable stop 48 o the pppermost endoi rodjd receives the proximal Ien'd of spring 46.

An hydraulic cylinde' 50 is pivotally' mountedat its lowermost end through the medium of a.

standard 52 upon a cross frame member 54 carried by the framework l and .;disposedbetwee1r V the cross members 14 and I6. Cylinder is pro-- vided with a reciprocable pistorifili having avere tical reciprocable rod 58 extending outwardly above the uppermost end of the;cylinde1; 50. The; outermost free end of the piston rod 58 is pivot- Having-thus describedthe invention'f what is .claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

Elevatmgzandw lowering mechanism for combine cutter bars, said mechanism comprising a pair-ofispaced horizontal cross bars adapted for mountingorra'- combine; a pair of spaced, up-

. standing. frame pieces secured to each cross bar ally secured as at 60 to a block 62, depending 5 from and secured directlyto the arm 3| next adjacentzthea pivottpin 32. therefor;

Cylindeniwis suppliedwithehydraulidpressurez from'a suitahle sources. (notzshuwn) a through; the mediuma of supply lines 681 and; 10,. in: communiscatiomlwithathescylinder 5D: atopposite: ends. thereon 1 'l hezarmziill'iszprovidedwitlr an;elongated .brace Bra-t1 its uppermost. edge; that. is in. turn; supeported arr upright: member 14a extending upa wardly fromcthe anneal]; intermediate; the endszof:

thesbracerlt. a

In operation, when it is desired to raisetha cutter ban-.42 irormalnomnal position, the; operation actuate's: awalve (not; shown); to direct. by draulic pressure: beneath thezreciprooable; piston; 58: Upwarcb n'iomementt of: piston: 56 annhits: rod 58 swings armx3oz one its pivotal; mounting: 32, to. upturn; swing the. rod 34 upwardly, all as indie-1 cat'ediin dotted. lines iniFigz- I. It: is: appreciated that the piston rod 58 travels a relatively short: distance as compared-with: theover-all. length of travel ofrodi 34 and the cutter bar: v421'. connected there-tow Consequently; as soon. as hydraulic; pressure is directed: to the cylinder. di thez cutter bar will-respond immediately and its speed. of travel 'wi'lllbe appreciably: greater than the speed. oftravefiof' the pistonlid and its rod 58:. No bind-- ihg action: of any kind will take .place'vbetweent the cyllh'der iflandthe cutter barr' lZ becauseiof the: pivotal connection' between; the standard 52' and;

- framernem'ber'w, the pivotal connection 60' be respectively and interconnected at the uppermost 'endsthereof; an elongated, substantially horizontal arm pivotally mounted at one end thereof to;=one.-.pair;of;sa-id frame pieces-.therebetweenand at the uppermostcends ofitheclatter for, swingingl movement: on: its:transverse;.horizontal axis; said; arm being; slidable: between-aha other pair: of: frame pieces; intermediate: the; ends; of; the: arm; said; otherpair of; framezpiecesaextending-i above: said one=.pair. of irammpieces; aupivotallyjmonntef ed -hydrauhc cylinder; underlying-the arm; arpistonin/ theacylinders havingzarn elongated: stem" disposed? for: vertical: reciprocation; on its: length tudina-l' axis :andtpivotally: j oined; to: the arm; near; the saidi one .end oi thedatter: an: elongated; rad: depending from saidzarm attire; oppositepend; thereof; said rod: being pivotallya'. joinedzrtuvtha ar'ni; and-therlowennost endrof thezrod being:

adaptedi'for pivotal connectiomwithza cutten ban to be raise'd and: lowered; said IDdl including; art uppermost and a IOWGImOStFSGGtlOH; amelongatedo member: having a5 pain ofi ends-,1: oneeend'i of. the membenbeing securedzlto the uppermost section; the other end of-i'the member being; slidablez-om tlielow'ermost section; ancutz-turnedshouldeie om sa-id lowermost "section? and; a5. spring: lcfliledl about said lowermost section betweenzthe; shoule. derand said other endiof themember.

1 J 'JQH-N HFL'IINDAH.

ROBERTTR JOHN DLiBLACKm I 1H REFERENCES G1TED:J..

" "Tfollovringk references are ofrecord in the:

file'ofthis'patentz' 1 NITE s rnteasemrnn'rs, 

